G
ggull
Guest
I'm new to both the wireless thing and to Vista, so bear with me (I'm
helping a friend set up her new laptop).
Basically, I want to force a laptop to wait for the user to manually connect
to a network, either LAN or wireless, or at least to ASK before connecting.
I got the password (security key) to a neighbor's network, call it Fred, and
got the connection going. The problem is that now every time I start the
computer (or at least log onto an account?) it logs on to this network (and
everyone starts calling home).
OK, I got it set up from the Windows Mobility Center so that the computer
boots up with the wireless network adapter off (good for power as well as
security). But as soon as I turn the adapter on, it connects to Fred.
Poke around some more, get to Network and Sharing Center > Network
connections > Wireless Network Connection Status for Fred, and hit the
"Wireless Properties" button, and ... aha ... there is an option, "Connect
automatically when this network is in range". ..... BUT, this option is
un-checked.
OK, poke some more.. From Network & Sharing... > "Manage Wireless
Networks" and see that Fred is on top of the list of "Networks you can view
and modify" ... and is listed as "Manually connect."
SO ... it looks like the computer should NOT be automatically connecting.
But as soon as the wireless adapter goes on, it does. Any idea what's up
and how to stop it?
Further, and maybe more worrisome, on that same list of Networks you can
view and modify, there are three other networks besides Fred -- actual names
AirOrange, eleven, linksys in case these are some sort of defaults -- listed
as unsecured and "Automatically connect". (I have no idea how these got
there, although I think I've seen some of them in the "Connect to a Network"
window, though they aren't there now.) Since up at the top of the box it
says "Windows tries to conenct to these networks in the order listed below"
I worry that the way it's set up it will just promiscuously choose a loose
(unsecured) network wherever it finds itself, connect and shout "Hello,
Sailor!"
From what googling I've done I realize that most people have the opposite
problem of NOT connecting automatically
. And in some circumstances,
such as when she gets her own wireless network going at home, she might want
just that one network to automatically connect. But how can we make that an
option that has to be chosen, for one specific network, rather than the
default for seemingly every unsecured network within range of our park bench
or coffee table?
helping a friend set up her new laptop).
Basically, I want to force a laptop to wait for the user to manually connect
to a network, either LAN or wireless, or at least to ASK before connecting.
I got the password (security key) to a neighbor's network, call it Fred, and
got the connection going. The problem is that now every time I start the
computer (or at least log onto an account?) it logs on to this network (and
everyone starts calling home).
OK, I got it set up from the Windows Mobility Center so that the computer
boots up with the wireless network adapter off (good for power as well as
security). But as soon as I turn the adapter on, it connects to Fred.
Poke around some more, get to Network and Sharing Center > Network
connections > Wireless Network Connection Status for Fred, and hit the
"Wireless Properties" button, and ... aha ... there is an option, "Connect
automatically when this network is in range". ..... BUT, this option is
un-checked.
OK, poke some more.. From Network & Sharing... > "Manage Wireless
Networks" and see that Fred is on top of the list of "Networks you can view
and modify" ... and is listed as "Manually connect."
SO ... it looks like the computer should NOT be automatically connecting.
But as soon as the wireless adapter goes on, it does. Any idea what's up
and how to stop it?
Further, and maybe more worrisome, on that same list of Networks you can
view and modify, there are three other networks besides Fred -- actual names
AirOrange, eleven, linksys in case these are some sort of defaults -- listed
as unsecured and "Automatically connect". (I have no idea how these got
there, although I think I've seen some of them in the "Connect to a Network"
window, though they aren't there now.) Since up at the top of the box it
says "Windows tries to conenct to these networks in the order listed below"
I worry that the way it's set up it will just promiscuously choose a loose
(unsecured) network wherever it finds itself, connect and shout "Hello,
Sailor!"
From what googling I've done I realize that most people have the opposite
problem of NOT connecting automatically
. And in some circumstances, such as when she gets her own wireless network going at home, she might want
just that one network to automatically connect. But how can we make that an
option that has to be chosen, for one specific network, rather than the
default for seemingly every unsecured network within range of our park bench
or coffee table?